Opinion

M. Carroll: Just do it, Lance Armstrong: Come clean

You're hardly alone if the name Bradley Wiggins didn't immediately spring to mind.

When Lance Armstrong destroyed the competition in the Tour de France on seven occasions, professional cycling news transcended all other box scores and statistics. Armstrong's name soared next to ones such as LeMond, Jordan, Ruth and Namath as being among the most beloved and significant in their respective sports. Radio and TV stations and news websites — particularly in cycle-loving communities like Boulder, Fort Collins, Vail and Aspen — issued spoiler alerts and updates throughout the day for ardent fans hoping to savor the race coverage in their own time and at their own pace.

A report from the United States Anti-Doping Agency recently delivered Armstrong a crushing blow with the revelation that 26 witnesses testified to the existence of a sophisticated doping operation, of which Armstrong was said to be both a participant and leader. While he vowed several weeks ago that he wouldn't address the charges against him again, Armstrong's radio silence is deafening and devastating for the sport he single-handedly put on the map.

Because of his fall from grace, there has been no one to take over the reins of professional cycling and move forward with an anti-doping platform and plan for the sport. Instead of anointing a new king, longtime cycling enthusiasts and bandwagon fans alike have all but given up the idea of a throne. And in the absence of a cycling hero, professional cyclists are now regarded warily and with suspicion.

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Armstrong will keep playing the role of a big fish in a small pond, entering races in Snowmass and Leadville, jetting in and out of the Aspen airport on his private plane to his second home and lavishing in the spoils of endorsement deals past. He'll continue to call himself a champion, but before long, he'll be the only one. He can continue to pantomime that he hasn't a care in the world other than his still-admirable and important crusade against cancer, but as he ignores or denies the accusations against him, the world of professional cycling becomes increasingly irrelevant.

The legacy of baseball will always be bigger than accused dopers like Roger Clemens. Golf enthusiasts opened their eyes and hearts wider to players like Phil Mickelson when über-star Tiger Woods made headlines for all the wrong reasons. Kobe Bryant accused of rape? Bring on the idolatry of LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony in his stead.

However, in Armstrong's wake is left only a sport that, thanks to him, at one time had a moment in the sun.

Armstrong needs to surface from the hole he's dug himself into and seize this tremendous opportunity to once again be a superhero to the sport of cycling by reversing direction on his petulant and persistent denials. The USADA's report is the clearest picture yet that he's no champion.

Come out, come out, wherever you are, Lance. This is your opportunity to show yourself as a different kind of hero to the cycling community. Teach your kids and ours that the cover-up doesn't have to be worse than the crime, that it's never too late to come clean, that there is an imperative dignity in the truth.

Heroes don't just wear yellow jerseys. Dig deep, and remember how you've always had the unique power to make a difference, and not just among the terminally ill. Realize, too, however, that the window of opportunity for redemption is closing fast.

Like you've been paid to preach for years: Just do it.

Meredith C. Carroll is an Aspen-based columnist and freelance writer. Contact her at meredithccarroll@hotmail.com or on Twitter: @mccarroll.

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